The impacts of trade liberalization on the local labor market: Older women are especially vulnerable

This article examines the disparate impacts of Chinese import growth on US workers according to gender and age. I show that Chinese import growth generates larger employment losses for less skilled women than men in manufacturing. The gendered effects vary by age and are most concentrated among middle-aged workers. The motherhood career interruption may explain the gender-age disparities. Trade shocks depress labor outcomes more for women with children than for their male counterparts. Moreover, I find that the gender-age differential effect is alleviated when trade shocks hit industries with longer female job tenure.